National Geographic, April, 1960
and demons, spear-hurling warriors and claw
ing monkeys. They are dramatic scenes drawn
from Indian holy texts and the ancient classic
epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata,which
the king may have chosen as symbols of his
own life and deification.
In the eastern gallery, giants and demons
tug at the multiple-headed naga-the hooded
cobra-to churn a legendary Sea of Milk.
In another panel, the Day of Judgment,
saintly figures rise to occupy exalted pavilions.
The evil descend into the 32 hells to such tor
tures as having their bones broken, being
thrust into boiling pots, pinioned on racks, or
cast to wild beasts (page 537).
To me, however, a historical panel in the
south gallery was the most important, for
in it appear two splendid portraits of Surya
varman. One shows him seated on his throne,
shaded by umbrella and fan, in audience with
his ministers (page 536). Farther along the
relief, he rides with his war lords and troops
in ceremonial parade.
His rajahotar, or royal chaplain, accom
panies the procession, along with attendants
bearing the ark of sacred flame. An orchestra
blows horns and conchs, beats drums and
gongs. Buffoons cavort.
Many of these reliefs shine with almost
glasslike smoothness.
I soon discovered the
reason: nearly every pilgrim who passed me
ran his hand caressingly over the carvings.
From Angkor Wat I headed for Angkor
Thom.
Its southern gateway lies a little
more than a mile north of the temple causeway.
Before reaching it, I came upon a roadside
marker: Phnom Bakheng. Two stone lions
sit a short way back in the tree shadows, and
a gap in the branches exposes a steep path
mounting toward the top of the forest
shrouded phnom, or mountain.
Here is Angkor's only hill. Historically it
is an outstanding landmark, for it became the
"holy central mountain" of the new capital,
Yasodharapura, which Yasovarman I estab
lished here just before A.D. 900.
Fortunately for historians, Khmer monarchs
loved to boast of their good works in dedica
tory carvings on their stone temples. But the
royal engravers reached fantastic heights of
flattery in describing Yasovarman: "The best
of kings ... unique bundle of splendors," and
"In all the sciences and in all the sports...
in dancing, singing, and all the rest, he was as
clever as if he had been the first inventor of
them."
And prize boast of all: "In seeing him, the
(Continued on page 542)
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